Years later, driven by an untamed desire to shape a life beyond what had ever been expected of me, my world had changed. I had built a successful business in consulting, and the people around me had changed, too. And so it happened that, in November 2021, I stood for the first time in my life at an altitude of over 1,000 meters. Looking back, it’s a modest height, and hiking up the Wank near Garmisch-Partenkirchen can hardly be called an adventure. But it stirred something in me. Standing there, gazing across to the Zugspitze, I suddenly felt what that young boy once felt in front of the TV. The fascination I had once felt for mountains and polar landscapes surged back - only now, I was in a position to pursue those dreams. That realization sparked a deep sense of euphoria. On the very day of my return, I made a decision that would go on to change everything. I signed up for a climbing course, glacier training, and planned my first mountain ascents. Looking at the agenda that followed in 2022, one might have thought I’d gone crazy. But I’m deeply grateful I followed that impulse. In May 2022, I completed glacier training. At the end of it, I stood at nearly 3000 meters on the Hoher Dachstein in Austria. One month later came the Großvenediger. Just two months after that, I found myself in the Swiss canton of Valais, in the heart of the Western Alps - standing for the first time above 4000 meters near Zermatt. And from there, the journey continued - within my very first year in the mountains, I made it all the way to the Himalayas. In November 2022, I stood at over 6000 meters, directly facing Mount Everest.
In the years that followed, I took part in further expeditions to Nepal and the Andes. But the mountains of the Valais have held a special place in my heart ever since. For me, they mark the emotional origin of an ongoing journey - of a passion, and of a way of life that fills me with both pride and gratitude. Perhaps because it was here that I first truly felt the sense of freedom I used to associate with these adventures as a child. It was here I first grasped the monumental power and, at the same time, the fragile beauty of high alpine terrain. And I was confronted with physical and mental challenges that brought me to - and at times beyond - my limits. To this day, I’ve had the privilege of standing on many of the 4000-meter peaks surrounding Zermatt and Saas Fee. I return to the region every year - back to the place that changed my life in 2022.
A privilege. And an inspiration. Because I realized that by telling stories about these journeys and expeditions, I could reach people emotionally. These extreme worlds captivated them. And even though they weren’t there in person, it allowed them to see differently. That awareness was the true beginning of my photography. I began to capture what words could not express.
So when it came time to select the works for my first edition, one thing became immediately clear: Edition Zero would be a tribute to the place where my love and passion for the high mountains truly ignited - a tribute to the Valais Alps.
Edition Zero, a handcrafted box set of five carefully curated works, strictly limited to 30 pieces, will be released in November 2025.
